TV Review: The Amazing Race 16

This season of The Amazing Race isn't a "celebrity edition" but between a former Miss Teen USA contestant, two members of Big Brother, and a World Series-winning third base coach, it at least half feels like one.  The show seems to have an increasing reliance on casting individuals with a name and/or face recognition, which doe seem to hamper it somewhat, although not as much as the lack of ability illustrated by the contestants in the season premiere.

Although one might have expected Caite Upton, the former Miss Teen USA contestant who became an internet sensation with her all but incoherent speech during the contest, to be the dimmest bulb in the pack this season, there are certainly others accompanying her on the race who will give her a run for her money.  For instance, there is the winner of the most recent Big Brother, Jordan, who is competing with her boyfriend whom she met on the show.  Although an adult, Jordan doesn't fully comprehend discussions about time, like when she should arrive somewhere if she is meeting a person at a quarter to two. 

And those are just the people who give the audience pause before the race even begins.  Once host Phil Keoghan sends the contestants on their way and before they reach the first Pit Stop at the end of the episode, no fewer than three other teams do things that are completely and totally perplexing to an outside viewer.  Without delving too greatly here into what takes place in the episode, it is more than fair to say that plenty of people watching at home will find themselves shaking their heads at the teams we have before us this cycle.

That is an incredibly disappointing statement, as The Amazing Race is one of the best – if not the best – conceived and put together reality show on television.  The amount of effort that clearly goes into working out the locations and challenges is immense, and even here, where the contestants are found wanting, the show is able to pull through due to the travelogue it puts together.  Watching the funiculars and seeing the multi-colored houses in Valparaiso, Chile – the first stop this year – is fantastic.  Unfortunately, some in the audience may choose to mute their television as they see the sites so that they need not hear a discussion about why a contestant thinks it ought to be okay to use Brazilian money in Chile (it's a geographical thing).

Article Author: Josh Lasser

Josh Lasser, formerly known as "TV and Film Guy," and complete with a Masters Degree in Critical Studies in said areas, gives his opinions on TV, Film, and Entertainment in general. All of which he does in a shameless attempt to try to get paid to do the exact same thing. …

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